The top priority for almost any parent after having a child, is to keep that child safe from any harm that could befall them. This may seem obvious, but children are faced with so many dangers in the world that it is also quite a difficult task. Because right after birth, children have not been exposed to anything within the world, no one can tell if they’re allergic to any foods or materials, and as such, allergies pose a large threat to a newborn’s wellbeing. This in turn leads to an interesting question, do food allergies exist at birth?
Researchers have recently posed this same exact question, and have begun studying whether sensitivity to food is a developed characteristic, or if it begins in the womb. During the first studies on the subject, scientists determined that women that ate larger amounts of allergenic foods during their pregnancies, also had children with higher rates of allergic reaction to these foods. Though the mystery seemed to have been solved, the following studies showed opposite or inconclusive results, and these findings were subsequently rescinded.
Now, with allergy rates in children and adults on the rise again, researchers have started pondering this question yet again. Just as before, initial tests are showing increased antibodies and sensitivities being passed on to children in the studies. But yet again, there are other studies going on at the same time, that are showing opposite and inconclusive results. Researchers are now cautioning pregnant mothers to be careful with allergenic foods yet again, but until solid results can be established, it seems that this debate is still far from over.